Taro Aso was so confident that he would call a quick election after becoming prime minister in September that he postponed moving into the official residence.

Two months later, his plans, and his government, are in tatters. The global financial crisis has put the election on the back burner; meanwhile, opinion polls show most people disapprove of his performance. His ¥5 trillion plan to boost growth was labeled "incoherent" last week by the Mainichi Shimbun and "chaotic" by the Asahi.

The result is that chances are increasing Aso, 68, will become the third prime minister to resign since September 2007.